The following is an unofficial translation of an appeal made Thursday by 39 members of the Japan Forum on International Relations. Related news story
(1) The Iraq and North Korea crises are linked.
As the time for a possible U.S. attack on Iraq draws near, North Korea is stepping up moves to arm itself with nuclear weapons. Therefore, we must consider carefully what action will best serve Japan's interests and, more generally, what course the international community should take. We support the United States' position and action concerning the Iraq problem, and we insist on strengthening cooperation between Japan and the U.S. in dealing with the North Korea problem. Since these two crises are linked, Japan's ability to resolve the crisis created by North Korea will depend on how Japan responds to the Iraq crisis.